Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-29
ANECDOTES OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Overcome by Too Much Tnii-HeIP Me
Let This Hog Go.

Overcome by Too Much TniI-HeIp Me
Let This Hog Go.
President Lincoln was fond Of impreSSing n
point or illustrating his opinion or desire
through tn" medium of a story. When Gen.
Grant was appointed lieutenant general the
president called him aside TO speak TO him
privately; and after a brief reference to The
military situation he said ne could best illus
trate what he wanted to say by a story which
he related. The anecdote is in Grants own
words and was contributed by Col Fred.
Grant to Mr.. Allen Thorndike Rice's Rem
inisceEces of Abraham Lincoln, by Distin-
guished Men Of His Time" The president
said: AT one time there was a great war
among the animals, and one side had great
difficulty in getting a commander who had
sufficient confidence in himself Finally they
found a monkey, Of the name of JOcko, who
said he thought he could command their
army if his tail could be made a little longer.
So they got more tail and spliced it on to his
caudal appendage. He looked at it admir-
ingly. and then thought he ought TO have q
little more still This was added, and again
he called for more. The splicing process was
repeated MANY times, until they had coiled
Jocko's tail around the room, filling all the
space. Still he called for more tail, and,
there being no other place to coil it, they be-
gan wrapping it around his shoulders He
continued his call for more, and they kept on
winding the additional tail about him until
finally its own weight broke him down"
Gen. Grant saw the point, and, rising from
his char. replied: Mr. President, will not
call for more assistance unless / find it I'M
possible 10 do with the forces already have
He used the same means likewise to give
vent tO his deepest feelings. Mr. Rice gives
an enccdOte related by Ex-Governor Curtin,
war governor Of Pennsylvania, which con-
tains striking instance Of this kind. Gov
crnor Curtin bad returned from the battle Of
Fredericksburg. and described it TO the presi-
dent n rather a but"hery than fight The
account of THE horrors he had witnessed threw
the president into u state of nervous excite
nlent, and Gov. Curtin, in taking his leave of
the sorTCwful executive, said: Il trust mat
tiers will look brighter when the official re
ports come in" and then he added, i'm
pulsively: Il would give all possess to know
how t" rescue YOU from this terrible war"
Immediately the presidents manner
changed. and he relieved his mind by telling
the following story:
This reminds me-" he said. "of an old
farmer out in Illinois that | used TO know.
He took ii into his head to go into hog raising.
He sent over to Europe aad imported the finest
breed Of hogs he could buy. The prize hog
was put in pen, and the farmers two mis-
chievous boys. James and John, were told to
be sure not u let him out. But James, the
worse Of the two. let the brute out the next
day. The hog went straight for the boys,
and drove John up a tree Then it went for
the seat Of James trousers and the only way
be could save himself was by bolding on to
the hogs tail The hog would not give up
his hunt nor the boy his hold After they
had made good many circles around the
tree, the boys courage tegan 10 give out, and
he shouted to his brother: i say, John, come
down quick and help me let this hog go
Now, governor that is exactly my case
wish some one would come and help me let
this hog go!7